Piano.



A.. B. VANT.

PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED Aus. Io. I9I4,

1 ,283,988. Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. B. VANT.

PIANO.

APPLICATION man AUG. lo. 19m.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mn/esse@ IW/venor:

www Wm by Wm? l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. VANT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PIANO COMPANY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

PIAN 0.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application led August 10, 1914. Serial No. 856,113.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. VANT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in New York city, New York, have invented an Improvement in Pianos, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to means for improving the volume and tone quality in the playing of musical instruments, such for eX- ample as pianos.

Among other objects, the invention is intended to provide means supplemental to the usual sounding board of a musical instrument.

The character of the invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a diagrammatic, plan View of a grand piano embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, on the line 2 2 of Fig. l, and,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section, showing an illustrative form of resonator chamber.

Referring to Figs. 2 and S-a well-known construction of grand piano frame is shown, comprising an outer rim 5, an inner rim 6 and a sounding board 7 For simplicity, the piano actions and strings are omitted from the drawings, since they themselves form no part of the present invention. As shown, the outer rim 5 and inner rim 6 are formed from a series of layers of wood, secured together. Through any desired number of these layers of wood are formed one or more, preferably a plurality, of chambers 8, and the mouths of these chambers are preferably partly closed by the final layer 9 of the inner rim, said layer having an aperture 10 for each chamber. These chambers are disposed at suitable intervals along the length of the inner rim, as shown in Fig. l. In the playing of the instrument the vibration of the sounding board, being communicated to the other parts, is transmitted to the chambers 8, whereby the volume and tone quality is very desirably enhanced.

The number of chambers or their equivalents, and their disposition, may be varied according to the particular instrument in which the invention is embodied, as-will appear to those skilled in the art. It is not essential that the chambers be of the particular shapes or be located in the particular places in which they are shown for illustration in the accompanying drawings. On the contrary, the invention may be variously embodied, and the specific illustrative construction and organization may be variously modified within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Claims:

1. A grand piano having an inner rim supporting the edge of the sounding board, said inner rim havin a chamber formed therein, one wall of said chamber consisting of a relatively thin layer of Wood partially closing the chamber.

2. A grand piano having an inner rim supporting the edge of the sounding board, said inner rim having an incompletely closed chamber formed therein.

3. A grand piano having a laminated rim conforming to the outline of the case and supporting the edges of the sounding board, said rim having a chamber hollowed out from the material thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT B. VAN T.

Witnesses:

. CHARLES H. STODDARD,

I. E. EDGAR.

Copie: of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

